Apparattis for eemoying connecting elements



Oct. 13, 1931. .1. M DONOUGH ET AL 1,826,308

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CONNECTING ELEMENTS Filed April 25. 1930 2sheets-Sheet 1 fla-lll Oct. 13, 1931.

.1. M DONOUGH ET AL APPARATUS FOR REMOVING CONNECTING ELEMENTS FiledApril 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1: Im .m

a rack 23 which meshes with a pinion gear mounted upon a shaft 25, foradvancing the carriage 12 past the oscillating assembly 11 and forretracting it to the position shown in Fig. l upon rotation of thepinion gear 24 in opposite directions.

The shaft 25, upon which the pinion gear 24 is mounted, is journalled inthe side plate 2, andin a housing 29 which encloses a beveled gear 30pinned to the shaft 25, and a beveled gear 31 which meshes with thebeveled gear 30 and is pinned to a shaft 32. The shaft 32 is journalledin the housing 29, and drives the beveled gear 30. The other end of theshaft 32 is journalled in the side of a transmission housing 33 and maybe driven in either of two directions through a clutch mechanismdesignated generally by the numeral 34 and mounted within thetransmission housing 33.

A shaft 38, having a beveled gear 39 (Fig. 1) secured thereto whichmeshes with the beveled gear 40 mounted upon a shaft 41 constantlydriven by an electrical motor 42, may be interconnected with the shaft32 to drive the shaft 32 in either of two directions by means of theclutch 34 (Fig. 6) the following mechanism being provided forinterconnecting the shafts 38 and 32. A driving member 43 is splined tothe shaft 38 at 44 and has mounted on opposite faces thereof clutchteeth 45 and 46 which, upon movement of the driving member to the rightor left, respectively, will engage clutch teeth 47 or 48, respectively.The clutch teeth 47 are formed upon a disk fastened to gear pinion 49,which is pinned to the shaft 32 at 50. Gear teeth 51 mesh with the teethof an idler 52, rotatable about a stud shaft 53 mounted in the side ofthe transmission housing 33.

The driving member 43 has an annular groove 56 formed therein, in whicha roller 5? rides. The roller 57 is mounted upon the upper end of thelever 58 mounted upon a.

shaft 59 and adapted to be oscillated in a clockwise or counterclockwisedirection in the manner to be described hereinafter so as to move thedriving member 43 to the right or left (Fig. 6). The idler 52 mesheswith a pinion 60, mounted upon a shaft 61 journalled in the sides of thetransmission housing 33 and having pinned thereto a pinion 62 whichmeshes with a driving gear 63free- 1y rotatable upon the shaft 38 andbeing restrained from movement longitudinally of the shaft 38 by a key64 which engages an annular slot 66 formed in the shaft. The clutchteeth 48 are foun'ed upon a clutch plate 65 which is fixed to thedriving gear 63. Uponrotation of the shaft 59 in a clockwise direction6), itwill be apparent that the clutch teeth 45 will engage the teeth 47to drive the shaft 32 in one direction, and upon movement of the shaft59 in a counterclockwise direction, the teeth 46 will engage the teeth48 to drive the shaft 32 in the opposite direction through the drivinggear 63, pinion 62, shaft 61, pinion 60, idler 52 and pinion 49. y

The shaft 59 extends through the side of the transmission housing 33 andthe side plates 2 and 1 and has lever 69 mounted thereon outside of thechannel formed by the plates 1 and 2. A. lever 70 is also secured to theshaft 59 inside the channel and has a tension spring 71 secured theretoat one end, its other end being secured to the plate 1 at 72, tending torotate the shaft 59 in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 2) and to holdthe clutch teeth 46 in engagement with the clutch teeth 48 to drive thecarriage 12 to the right (Figs. 1 and 2). The lever 69 may be movedmanually in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2) against the action of thespring 71, and upon being so moved will move the clutch teeth 15 intoengagement with the clutch teeth 46 to drive the carriage 12 to the left(Fig. 1).

Fixed to the lever 70 intermediate its ends is one end of a link 73, theother end of which is pinned to lever 74 rotatably mounted on the sideplate 1 at 75. The lever 74 carries a cam member 79 adapted to engage aroller 80 positioned upon a cam lever 81 which is pivotally mounted at82011 a latch supporting plate 83. he latch supporting plate 83 hasslidable therein a plunger 84 having a flange 85 formed thereon. Ashoulder 86 is formed on the latch supporting plate 83, and a spring 87is positioned between flange 85 and shoulder 86 for normally urging theplunger 84 upwardly (Fig. 2). Formed on the cam lever 81 is a yoke 91which engages the upper surface of the flange 85 of the plunger 84, andis adapted to move the plunger downwardly against the action of thesping 87 when the cam member 79 engages the roller 80to rock the camlever 81 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 2). When the carriage 12 is inthe extreme right hand position (Fig. 2), the plunger 84 adapted toengage a slot 92 formed in a plate 93 secured to the under side of theclamping plate 22, thereby to lock the carriage in that position so asto prevent ac cidental displacement thereof.

The shaft 59 has a gear segment 94 secured thereto between the lever 69and the outer surface of the plate 1, engaging with teeth 95 in a rod 96which is reciprocable in guide members 97 and 98. At its left end(Fig. 1) the rod 96 has a portion thereof cut away to form a shoulder190 which is adapted to be engaged hya latch 101 form-ed on a bell.crank lever 102. The bell crank lever 102 is pivoted at 103 and is urgedto rotate in a clockwse direction (Fig.1) by a compression spring 104positioned between an arm of the lever 102'and the side plate 1. Anotherarm 108 of the bell crank lever 102 extends transimaaet c V versely ofthe? angle member and i'ntoi'the path of a pin 109 mounted nzponthe .topplate of the carriage 12. Upon "movement of thelever 69 to the right(Figs. 1 and 2) the rod 96 will be moved to .a .point where the.

sembly 11 and the pin 109 engages the arm 108 of the bell. crank 102 torelease the latch member 101, thereby to. permit the s. ring 71 torotatethe shaft 59 in acounterc ockwise directionKFig. 2:) to reversethe clutch -34, so as to drive the carriage back to its origmalposition.

Just prior'to the time when the carriage12 reaches the position shown inFigs.- 1 and 2, adepending projection formed onthe under side of theclamping, plate 22 will en gage the upper end of the lever'74 to movedirection (Figs. 2 and 6) to move the driving:

it to the right (Fig. 2), and since the lever.

74 is connected by the link 73 tothe lever 70, the shaft .59 will berotated in a clockwise member 43 of the clutch 34 into its'intermediateposition as shown in FignG, where its clutch teeth 45 and 46 are outofengagement with their associated clutch teeth 47 and48. In beingretracted to the position shown in r Fig. 2, the carriage12 willcarrythe'plate 93 which has a cam surface 111, partway past the plunger 84,and the cam surface 111 will engage the plunger84 to compress the spring87 to movethe plunger downwardly,

until the upper end of the plunger registers with the depression 92 inthe plate'93, where'- upon the spring 87 will move the plunger 84.

I upwardly to lock the carriage in the position shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing,1t will be apparent, that a mountingplate'which hasbeen secured to the carriage 12 by means ofa c1amping member1l2, maybe'advaneed past the in being so moved, the oscillatingassembly itsoscillating assembly 11 andautomatically retracted to its originalposition asshown -in' Figs. 1and2, inresponse to the movement of thelever 69 to the right (Figs. 1 and 2), and

whichwill now be described, will break any connecting elementsattachedto. theequipe ment mounted on the mounting plate. For thesa'keof illustration, the mounting plate 9 has been shown as :havingaplurality of relays 116 secured thereto" by :any suitable .meansa'ndhaving'the'ir terminals :11? extend 1 ing through apertures118 in-theplate 9. In;

this type of electrical equipment connecting elements or wires 126running to :the terminals of thejelectrical apparatusiare usually;

formed into a cable such as that designatediby numeral 119, andjthe'terminals 31157: are a1- 120upwardly.

rangedintwo' rowslas shown in Figs.-;1'andj2.

The; oscillating assembly 11; comprises a plate 120 pivoted on a{threaded member 121 Whichis secured to a supporting bar122-suspendedfroma cross member 123whichis supported at its outer edges onspacers.124

' and 125 which in turn'are secured to the uppersurface ofthe anglemembers Band 4, re-

spectively, (Figif5). The supporting bar 122 has .a pair of guidemembers 129 secured.

thereto which direct theconnecting elements or wires 126 upwardly intoengagement with a guide member 130 secured tothe right end (Fig.4) ofthe plate 120. Secured tothe 1 guide member 130 and extending downward-1y between the guide members 129 is a knife 131 adapted to sever anystrap wires such as thatsho-wn at 132 (Fig.5) connecting termi nals onopposite sides of a'frelay, asthe mounting plate 9' is advanced pasttheoseillating assembly 11'. The plate 120 is formed T with two taperingslots a'sshown M133 and 1 1 wires 126 which" have engaged the guide ingassembly '11, will be directed into one or "the other of these slots.

members129 and 130 due to the advancement v 10f the mounting.plate9towardtheo'scillat I:

- The plate 120 has securedtheret iby means of screws 137,a verticallyextending semi cylindrical member 138-in' which is freely ro-z tat-ableand reciprocable a piston-like member.

139. Formed inv the piston-like member 139' is antaperture 140 in whicha pin 141 is route. ably mounted. The pin'141 is fixed eccentri ca'llyon a shoulder 142 ofva shaft 143 journalled in journal blocks 147 iand148 secured to the supporting cross member 123. .Abeveled gear 149 ispinned to the shaft 143 and meshes with abeveled gear 150 mounted upon aa shaft 151 journalled in journal blocks 152 and 153 (Fig. 3). Attachedto the end ofthef shaft 151 opposite to that on which the .bev-

eled gear 150 is mounted, is a pulley 154connected by means of a belt155 we driving pul ley 156 secured to the end of the shaft 41 driven bythemotor 42.

Upon rotarymotion being imparted to shaft 143through the gears andpulley describedhereinbefore, thepin 141 will be driven in a circular'path, and will move the ins Liston-like member 1391u-p and down inthevertically extending se1ni,-eylindrical"mem- I ber 138 and willsimultaneously oscillate the plate 120,'to which'the semi cylindricalmember 138 isat-tached, about member 121.2 The gears 149, 150, and thecylindrical member 138 together withits cooperatingmechanism, areenclosed in a housing -1'60,-the-right end fOf which (Figs: 1, 2, and 4)is inclined-down.- wardly to'a point just below theupper edge of-theknife 131, forming an incline'ddsur face 161 for directing thecable119a'nd wires Abetter understanding 'of fthe invention describedhereinbefore Willibe had from the following brief description of theoperation thereof. Assuming that the carriage 12 is in the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2, a mounting plate 9 having a plurality of relays116' mounted thereon, may be positioned on the carriage and secured inplace by the clamping members 112. It will be assumed that at this timethe electric motor 42 has been started and is driving the oscillatingplate 120 through the belt 1.55, gears 150 and 149 and the cooperatingpiston-like member 139 and semi-cylindrical member 138, the operation ofwhich is believed to be apparent. With the mounting plate 9 secured onthe carriage 12, the lever 69 may be moved to the right (Fig. 2) torotate the shaft 59 in a clockwise direction (Figs. 2 and 6) to move theclutch teeth 45 into engagement with the clutch teeth 47 to drive thecarriage 12 to the left (Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4). in moving the lever 69to the right 2), the levers TO and 74 will also be moved to the right,causing the cain member 79 to engage the roller 80, thereby to move theplunger 84 out of its associated 1 slot 92 in the plate 93 secured tothe underside of the carriage 12, and the segmental gear 94 rill bemoved to right drawing with it the rod 96 to a point where the latch 101will onge the shoulder 100 and hold the rod 96 in its extreme right handposition (Figs. 1 and 2). In this manner tl e carriage 12 will beadvanced past the oscillating assembly 11 and, in passing the wires orconnecting elements 126, will be directed by the guide me1nbers 129 and130 in o the slots 138 formed in the plate 120, and will be moved backand forth due to the oscillation of the plate 120. In being moved backand forth by the plate 120, the wires or connecting elements 126 will bebent back and forth to break the wires at a point adjacent the terminals117, and any strap wires 132 which connect oppositely disposed terminals117, ill be cut by the knife 131. As the carriage 12 approaches the leftend (Figs. 1 and 2) of the channel formed by the angle members 3 and 4,the pin 109 on the carriage 12 will engage the lever 108 and move it tothe left Fig. 1) releasing the latch member 101 and permitting thespring 71 to actuate the lever so as to move the clutch teeth 45 out ofengagement with the clutch teeth 47, and move the clutch teeth 46 intoengagement with the clutch teeth 48, thereby driving the shaft 32 in theopposite direction. The shaft 32, in rotating in the opposite direction,will drive the carriage 12 to the right to the position shown in Figs. 1and 2. Just prior to the time when the carriage 12 reaches the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the de pending projection 110 thereon willengage the upper end of the lever 74 and move it together with the lever70 to the right (Fig. 2), thereby moving the clutch driving member 48into a position where the teeth 45 and 46 teeth 47 or the teiath 48,whereupon the plunger 84 will engage its associated depression 92 tolock the carriage in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 until the lever69 is again operated manually.

Although this invention has been described as pertaining to a specifictype of apparatus for removing connecting elements from a particulartype of electrical equipment, itis to be understood that the inventionis not limited in scope to such apparatus or equipment, but only asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. In an apparatus for removing connecting elementsfrom the terminals of electrical equipment, an oscillatory member havinga slotted portion for engaging connecting elements therein to breakthem, and means for advancing the electrical equipment past theoscillatory member and automatically retracting it to its originalposition.

2. In an apparatus for removing connecting elements from the terminalsof electrical equipment, an oscillatory member having a slotted portionfor engaging connecting elements therein to break them, means foradvancing the electrical equipment past the oscillatory member andautomatically retracting it to its original position, and means forautomatically rendering the advancing means inoperative upon theretraction of the electrical equipment to its original position.

3.111 an apparatus for removing connecting elements from the terminalsof electrical equipment, a slotted member for engaging the connectingelements adjacent the terminals, means for oscillating the slottedmemberto break the connectingelements, a carriage for supporting theelectrical equipment, and means for advancing the carriage past theslotted member and automatically retracting it.

4. In an apparatus for removinp connecting elements from the terminalsof electrical equipment comprising an oscillatable member having aslotted portion for engaging the connecting elements adjacent theterminals to break the elements from the terminals, means including aneccentric for oscillating the oscillatable member, and means foradvancing the electrical equipment past the oscillatable member.

5. An apparatus for removing connecting elements from the terminals ofelectrical equipment, comprising an oscillatable member having a slottedportion for engaging the connecting elemen s adj acent the terminals tobreak the elements from the ter minals, means positioned on theoscillatable member for cutting strap wires, means including aneccentric for oscillating the oscillatable member, and means foradvancing the electrical equipment past the oscillatable member.

thereof are not in engagement with either the 6. An apparatus forremoving connecting Bil 7 An apparatus for removing connecting elementsfrom the terminals of electrical equipment comprising an oscillatorymember having a slotted portion forengaging the connecting elements tobend and break them, means for advancing the electrical equipment pastthe oscillatory member including a carriage for supporting theelectrical equipment, driving means, a clutch associated therewith,manually controlled means for operating the clutch in one direc; tion toadvance the carriage past the oscillatory member, automatically operablemeans for operating the clutch in the opposite direction to retract thecarriage to its original position, and means for locking the carriageagainst accidental displacement from its retracted position. I

8. An apparatus for removing connecting elements from the terminals ofelectrical equipment comprising an oscillatory member having a slottedportion for engaging the connecting elements to bend and breakthem,

means for advancing the electrical equipment past the oscillatory memberincluding a carriage for supporting the electrical equipment, drivingmeans, a clutch associated therewith, manually controlled means foroperating the clutch in one direction to advance the-carriage past theoscillatory member. an-

tomatically operable'means for operating the clutch in the oppositedirection toretract the carriage to its original position, and meanscontrolled by the carriage for reversing the clutch to cause the drivingmeans to retract the carriage to its original position.

determined position for reversing the direction of travel of thecarriage.

10. An apparatus for removing connect; ing elements from the terminalsofelectrical equipment comprising an oscillatory member having a slottedportion for engaging the, connecting elements to bend and break them,

means for advancing the electrical equipment past the oscillatory memberincluding a carriage for supporting the electrical equipment, drivingmeans, a clutch associated therewith, manually controlled means forvance the carriage past the oscillatory member', means operated by. thecarriage upon operating the clutch in one direction to ad- 8 reaching apredetermined position for reversing the direction of travel of thecarriage, and means for operating the clutch to render the driving meansinoperative when the carriage is retracted to its original po-, sition.I c 7 11. An apparatus for removing connecting elements from electricalequipment comprising an oscillating means for bending and breaking theconnecting elements adjacent the terminals, means for advancing and retracting the electrical equipment past the oscillating means comprisingdriving means,

manually controlled means for rendering the driving means effective toadvance the elec trical equipment, and automatic means for retractingthe electrical equipment and locking it in its retracted position.

f In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day ofApril, A..D. 1930. 7 7 JOHN MODONOUGH.

w In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day ofApril, A. D. 1930.

' P ,LARS NORMANN.

9. An apparatus for removing connecting V elements from the terminals ofelectrical equipment comprising an oscillatory member having a slottedportion for engaging the connecting elements to bend and break them,means for advancing the electrical equipment past the oscillatorymemberincluding a carriage for supporting the electrical equipment, drivingmeans, a clutch associated therewith,

manually controlled means for operating the clutch in one direction toadvance the car riage past the oscillatory member, and means operated bythe carriage upon reaching a pre-

